Interesting Water Leak

StevNimrod

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
343
Just wondered if anyone has ever heard of anything like this:

1994 Wellcraft Excel, with Alpha 1 Gen 2 at the transom. Boat sits in water during the season (April - October) but gets trailered to get fuel and the occasional road trip. Lower unit is missing half the skeg.

If I pull the drain plug at the ramp before taking off for the gas station I'll get about 3-4 gallons of water. Go get gas, put it back in the water and idle over to dock (10 minutes) just a little water (maybe a gallon). Sit at the dock for a few hours, check water level before leaving and it's now a couple gallons. But it never seems to get more than 3 or 4 gallons. Can sit out at the dock all day and the water will never get high enough to actuate the float switch.

It just seems rather odd that it'd take on some water, but then be fine. All of the bellows are new (replaced mid summer last year), thru transom exhaust so no y-pipe and the hole is blocked off with a plate and the proper gasket. Boat has a water heater, mini-frige, head, and sink. Anybody heard of anything like this and have good leads on where to start looking (someone did already suggest checking out the swivel shaft seal). I know at the end of the day it's going to require a flashlight and some time, but I figured that since the engine is out now would be a good time to put the drive back on and look for the leak without the engine in the way. Just trying to narrow the search.
 

Fishermark

Vice Admiral
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Messages
5,617
Re: Interesting Water Leak

I know at the end of the day it's going to require a flashlight and some time, but I figured that since the engine is out now would be a good time to put the drive back on and look for the leak without the engine in the way. Just trying to narrow the search.

Yep - that's the bottom line. You're going to have to look. I suggest putting the drive back on and putting it in the water and seeing what happens. Either that or with it on the trailer putting a hose in the bilge and start filling it up and see where it leaks out. Hopefully you don't have a rotten transom.... which would be my guess. :(
 

StevNimrod

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
343
Re: Interesting Water Leak

Once the ice melts a bit more I'll be able to check it out, just trying to gather some input based on other similar experiences.

Hopefully the transom is ok; when the bottom was painted last year the mechanic checked it out (I guess with a hammer) and said it sounded ok.
 

Fun Times

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May 16, 2009
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8,776
Re: Interesting Water Leak

Take a garden hose and wet down the hole back of the boat at every fitting you can find, Including the rub rail while someone is on the inside looking for leaks.
 

StevNimrod

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
343
Re: Interesting Water Leak

Got the drive on (with engine removed) and it looks like the upper swivel shaft seal is leaking.

Got parts ordered and should arrive soon. I'll start a new thread on swivel shafts. My first question is the new thread will be:

Is the Merc part (98230A1) stainless steel? There's a guy locally that has a company, JR Marine, selling a stainless pin for a few less bucks than the almost three hundred the Merc part was. Upsides? Downsides?
 
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